Tuesday, February 28, 2012

The Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam (AITI) recently organised an ‘Amateur Radio Direction Finding (ARDF) Competition 2012′ at Sungai Basong Recreational Park in Tutong District. Two local amateur radio clubs – the Brunei Darussalam Amateur Radio Association (BDARA) and Persatuan Gemilang Daerah Tutong – jointly supported this event.The ARDF competition allowed participants to compete and show their skills in amateur radio direction finding. It required the skills of orienteering and navigating of radio direction finding in locating hidden transmitters called ‘beacons’ or ‘foxes’ within an area using the bearings of the transmitted signal in pedestrian mode.A total of 10 teams participated in the ARDF and every team consisted of three members with at least one person in the team holding a valid amateur radio station licence. The ARDF competition started at 7.45am and lasted for two hours. During the competition, each team also displayed their capabilities in the design of their homemade directional antennas.Winners of ARDF will be announced during the seminar on ‘Awareness on Amateur Radio Usage’ which will be held at the Indera Samudra Grand Hall, The Empire Hotel & Country Club, Jerudong, on March 4.Through the ARDF Competition, AITI hopes to create public awareness on amateur radio licence – its rules and regulations – and its ethical use. It is also to promote the use of amateur radio service in Brunei Darussalam and to create harmonies and network among radio enthusiasts.For further information on amateur radio awareness, contact Mohd Fadzlan bin Dato Paduka Haji Abdullah, Assistant Manager, Type Approval, Amateur Radio & Equipment Testing, AITI, at 2323232.